Turkish forces

Forces loyal to the Turkish government fought on Saturday to crush the remnants of a military coup attempt which crumbled after crowds answered President Tayyip Erdogan's call to take to the streets and dozens of rebels abandoned their tanks. More than 90 people were killed in violence that erupted late on Friday after a faction of the armed forces attempted to seize power using tanks and attack helicopters, some strafing the headquarters of Turkish intelligence and parliament in Ankara, others seizing a major bridge in Istanbul. Erdogan appeared to accuse the coup plotters of trying to kill him, and promised to purge the armed forces which in the past have staged a number of successful coups. "They will pay a heavy price for this," he said. "This uprising is a gift from God to us because this will be a reason to cleanse our army." Turkish authorities have already detained around 1,500 members of the armed forces, officials said. Chief of staff Hulusi Akar, who had been reported held … [Read more...] about Turkish forces fight to crush coup remnants after Erdogan returns

(VOVworld) – Turkish bomb-disposal experts disabled an explosive device in a vehicle found overnight near a government building in southeast Turkey on Friday.
The vehicle was found in the town of Hani in the mainly Kurdish region’s Diyarbakir province. Security in Turkey has been seriously threatened, with 3 attacks happening in Ankara over the past 5 months. The latest attack was a suicide car bomb attack in Kizilay square in Ankara last Sunday, killing 37 people. The Kurdistan Freedom Hawks (TAK), a militant group active in Turkey, claimed responsibility for the attack. The group described the car bombing as "vengeful action" for security operations in the mainly Kurdish southeast region that have been underway since July. … [Read more...] about Turkish forces disable bomb in vehicle in southeast

Turkish ground forces pushed into northern Syria’s Afrin province on January 21, the army said, after Turkey launched artillery and air strikes on a US-backed Kurdish militia it aims to sweep from its border.It marked the second day of fighting after Ankara opened a new front in the nearly seven-year-old Syrian war. Under what the Turkish government has called “Operation Olive Branch”, Turkish air strikes on January 20 pounded YPG positions in Afrin.“The Olive Branch Operation is going on as planned, and the ground operation has started,” the Turkish army, NATO’s second-largest, said. Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said the operation would create a 30km “safe zone”, according to broadcaster HaberTurk.Turkey-backed Free Syrian Army rebel factions had captured a Kurdish village with no resistance and were clearing landmines, a Turkish official said.The Syrian-Kurdish YPG militia, supported by the US but seen as a terrorist organisation by … [Read more...] about Turkish forces push into Syria, Kurdish militia says attacks repulsed

Twenty-four members of the Turkish security forces were killed and 18 others injured in Turkey's southeastern province of Hakkari early on Wednesday in simultaneous attacks carried out by the outlawed Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK), the private Dogan news agency reported.
PKK rebels attacked several military and police buildings and killed 24 soldiers and police officers in several locations in the predominately Kurdish province near the Iraqi border, a day after they killed five police officers and three civilians in Bitlis province in southeastern Turkey, the report said.
A Kurdish news agency said the Turkish forces has crossed into Iraq in pursuit of the PKK members, who has recently intensified attacks on Turkish troops, police and civilians. Turkish officials vowed to reciprocate with absolute determination.
Listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union, the PKK took up arms in 1984 to create an ethnic homeland in southeastern Turkey. … [Read more...] about PKK kills 24 Turkish security members in southeast Turkey

BAGHDAD — Iraq has given Turkey 48 hours to withdraw forces it said had entered the country illegally or face "all available options", including recourse to the UN Security Council.
Baghdad, which is struggling to assert its sovereignty while receiving foreign assistance against the Islamic State jihadist group, said Turkish forces with tanks and artillery entered Iraq without its permission.
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said in a letter to his Iraqi counterpart Haider al-Abadi that there would be no deployment of forces until Baghdad's concerns were addressed.
However, the future of the forces already sent remained unclear.
"In the absence of the withdrawal of these forces within 48 hours, Iraq has the right to use all available options," including recourse to the Security Council, a statement from Abadi's office said.
The Turkish forces entered "without the approval or knowledge of the Iraqi government," it said.
In practical terms, Iraq's options are … [Read more...] about Iraq gives Turkish forces 48 hours to leave country